Fake Microsoft emails a top threat

If you get an email that looks like it came from Microsoft, be wary before you open it. Cybercrooks trying to steal payment credentials sent emails impersonating Microsoft more than any other brand in the second quarter, according to Check Point Research.

Many of the emails used the subject “RE: Microsoft account unusual sign-in activity.” The email contains a link to a site that will ask you to input banking or credit card information.

Checkpoint said 29% of the phishing emails it analyzed impersonated Microsoft, followed by bogus emails pretending to be from Google, Apple, Wells Fargo and Amazon. Microsoft says genuine email from its account team has the sender address “account-security-noreply@accountprotection.microsoft.com.”

Activision targets hate speech

Taunting an opponent has long been a part of online video games, but too often the insults go from good-natured to hateful. Activision says it is adding “in-game voice chat moderation” to its popular Call of Duty game that will identify and remove hate speech, discriminatory language and harassment. Activision says offenders will receive a warning followed by “account penalties” if they break the rules again.  

Dropbox limits ‘unlimited’ storage

Popular cloud-storage service Dropbox is eliminating its unlimited cloud-storage plan for new customers. Dropbox said the plan, which is aimed at businesses and costs $30 per user per month, was being abused by customers who used the service for cryptocurrency mining or were reselling space to others. Current customers will be capped at 35 terabytes of storage and will have to pay extra if they exceed that amount.

Apple reverses ‘right to repair’ stance

After years of aggressively lobbying against “right to repair” legislation, Apple endorsed a measure by California legislators requiring companies to give customers the tools to fix their products independently — a landmark reversal that follows years of mounting pressure from advocates, lawmakers and federal regulators. Proponents of the campaign called it a potentially game-changing shift that could clinch them legislative victory in California. — THE WASHINGTON POST